Bashes across the city, not to mention the big parade and fireworks, will commemorate Canada Day on Wednesday, July 1. Here’s a look at where you can join the excitement:

Canada Day at Canada PlaceThe city’s biggest party – and the largest Canada Day celebration outside of Ottawa – is Canada Day at Canada Place, a full day of live music, food and entertainment downtown. Musical headliners this year on the big stage include local singer Hannah Georgas and Latin-inspired group Rumba Calzada. A separate stage features a beer garden and performances by local favourites Watasun and the Hairfarmers.

There’s also plenty of street food and interactive games, as well as a display by the Vancouver Circus School and, of course, the annual Canada Day citizenship ceremony for new citizens. Also stop by the Vancouver Convention Centre’s open house, where you can learn about its six-acre living roof, enjoy a brew on the Pacific Terrace and even see the Olympic Cauldron lit for Canada Day. Activities start at 10 a.m. Canada Place, Vancouver Convention Centre and Jack Poole Plaza.

Plans are in the works to transform a portion of the Newton neighbourhood in the Vancouver suburb of Surrey into a dedicated South Asian-themed shopping district. The commercial precinct would feature an outdoor mall set amid tree-lined boulevards, with shops selling everything from saris and bangles to chai and traditional Indian foods, according to an article in the Vancouver Sun by Kelly Sinoski.

The holidays are upon us and as our neighbours to the south prepare for their own Thanksgiving, there’s one special day for any shopper out there that’s circled and marked on the calendar: Black Friday. The day after Thanksgiving in America is called Black Friday because, similar to our Boxing Day, retailers offer deep discounts to move massive amounts of stock hoping to jump “in the black” in their books after operating at a financial loss throughout the year.

While September is heating up with record temperatures around the region, fall is just around the corner and with it comes a bounty of outdoor activities at our local farms. Corn mazes are a big attraction for both young and old as they not only provide hours of entertainment, they are usually coupled with other agricultural activities, farm-gate shopping, and delicious treats. The following is a roundup of corn mazes throughout the region that are open in September and October.

Inside Vancouver is a multi-author blog, written by Vancouverites about Vancouver. Our goal is to give an insider’s view of Vancouver, to provide information, stories and opinions from the locals’ perspective about this great city.